Darwin Nunez showing up Declan Rice sums up importance of Liverpool striker's big change

It was noticeable almost as soon as was forced into replacing in the first half against : when entered the fray, he did so with a clear desire to make an impression.

Arguably, the Uruguayan was a little too keen to snap into a tackle or two not long after he had picked up a booking. Successfully avoiding a red card, though, this was an energetic and defensively diligent showing worthy of praise.

Too often during his Liverpool career so far, Nunez has looked like a bit of an island in the Reds' attack — generating plenty of chances for himself and others, if not always taking them, but often do so by working alone. Here, though, he was dropping back to link things, spraying passes, and sprinting back to do the hard yards in his team's own half.

Summing up , Nunez has actually made more tackles (nine) than midfielder Declan Rice (seven) in the this season. While his only goal came versus and he needs to start scoring regularly, too, the off-the-ball stuff is heading in the right direction.

Jota, who picked up a rib injury against Chelsea when he was hauled down by Tosin Adarabioyo, could potentially be sidelined for a spell, though at the time of writing, a full update is yet to emerge. If the Portugal forward is missing for a period, Nunez will need to step up again.

With matches against Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa coming up in the league before the next international break, Liverpool's task doesn't get any easier and it needs as close to maximum points as possible to keep pace with Manchester City. Against Chelsea, though, Nunez put in the kind of performance that he will be expected to replicate regularly now he has shown himself capable.

Even if the goals are not flowing, putting in the hard yards going the other way is a surefire way of ensuring he stays in Slot's good books. His tackling numbers don't tell the full story of the season, with Nunez undoubtedly hoping to play more often than he has been of late, but the South American's showing against Chelsea was certainly on the right track.